Rusydan gets 3 years for hiding bomber

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The South Jakarta District Court sentenced on Wednesday the acting leader of regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) to three years and six months in prison for harboring one of the perpetrators of the Bali bombings. The verdict was lighter than the prosecutors' demand of nine years.

The panel of judges found defendant Abu Rusydan guilty of concealing information on the planned terrorist attacks in Bali that occurred on Oct. 12, 2002. The blasts -- the second worst after the World Trade Center attack in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 -- killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

"The defendant is guilty of withholding information on terrorist activities in violation of Article 13c of Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1/2002 on antiterrorism," presiding judge Mahmud Rahimi said in his verdict.

Defense lawyers will appeal the verdict.

Rusydan condemned the verdict, saying it was arbitrary. "God will punish those who have prosecuted me." His supporters, however, chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Great) to welcome the verdict.

The sentence is retroactive and will be calculated from the time Rusydan has spent in detention since Aug. 30, 2003.

In the indictment, Rusydan was said to know Ali Gufron alias Mukhlas as one of the Bali bombers and failed to inform the police of Gufron's whereabouts.

Rusydan was also said to have attended a series of meetings, attended by Gufron, which took place after the Bali blasts. Gufron was sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court for planning the attack.

Defense lawyers repeatedly demanded that the court acquit Rusydan of all charges. They argued Rusydan could not be prosecuted for harboring one of the Bali bombers as he met Gufron before the latter was declared a suspect in the Bali blast case.